IGN has put up a preview of Fallout: New Vegas, complete with some new screenshots and information. Here are the highlights of the new things:

New Vegas picks up three years after the events of Fallout 3, but don't expect the story to continue in a linear fashion. This is its own self-contained tale with its own original characters -- it stands alone. This time the setting is in the remnants of Las Vegas, aptly named New Vegas. The nuclear war didn't destroy everything out here in the desert, though there wasn't much to begin with. Things have held together relatively well all things considered, leaving plenty of places to explore from downtown New Vegas and the Hoover Dam to the towns and settlements of the surrounding Mojave Wasteland.

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Be warned: Hardcore mode lives up to its name. Taking that option will make the game much more realistic by -- among other things -- adding weight to even little things like bullets, forcing the player to regularly eat and drink water to stay alive, requiring a doctor visit to heal broken bones, and making Stimpaks heal over time instead of instantly. Not for the weak willed, but Obsidian is promising a treat for those that make it through to the end.

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Scopes, extra clips, special ammo and more can be found for most weapons, and every change you make to the gun is reflected in its look in the game.

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Some additions have been made to the flow of combat as well, making New Vegas a much more flexible and fluid looking experience. During real-time combat, new camera options have been added and the mechanics have been tweaked. You can now aim down the sights like most standard first-person shooters, and the game options can be tweaked to add in the cinematic, slow-mo kill cam previously only available through VATS. If you do bring up VATS, you'll find new options for melee targeting including special moves.

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With the companion wheel, you'll be able to quickly dish out basic commands to let your helper know whether to fight or flee. You'll also be able to much more easily manage their health and equipment. And if you make a dumb decision by giving a trained sniper a shotgun, the companion will let you know it.

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New beasts like the mutant Big Horner are joined by some old foes. The Gecko (normal, Fire, and Golden variants) and the elite Supter Mutant Nightkin are back, the latter of which can switch on some active camo to make things extra tricky. While the Nightkin is invisible, you won't be able to target them in VATS.

Things get trickier yet when you add in the new armored defense some elite enemies can present. When targeting some of the stronger units in New Vegas, you might see a red shield appear on the screen. That would be your indication to switch weapons to something more effective. Perhaps a Plasma Caster would be called for.

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In addition to the opening town of Goodsprings, I also got a look at Primm (a real-life town that includes a roller-coaster), Novak, Black Mountain and the Helios 1 Power Plant. Along the way I got a look at several quests that ranged in complexity from simple Gecko hunts, to sniper defenses inside the mouth of a huge Dinky the Dinosaur statue, to giant set pieces that involved turning solar plants into massive solar weapons.

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The most interesting part of the watching the quests play out came in the explanation of the extended system of notoriety and karma. Once again, you're free to be as nice or nasty as you please and your overall karma level will reflect it. At the same time, each faction or town you come across will react to your reputation you have with it. Help out the Brotherhood of the Steel and they might give you some protection or let you inside a locked down training camp. Piss off Caesar's Legion and they might send a hitman your way. Smaller towns might simply give you discounts…or tribute. With this system you're free to be both good and evil, shaping the way the world reacts to you along the way and ultimately affecting the outcome of your game. [DAC Note: Does this confirm the Brotherhood in the game?]

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If there was any disappointment with my first look at Fallout: New Vegas, it came with the look. Though work has been done on the engine to improve the flow of combat and conversations, little if any was done to make it more visually appealing. It will have been two years since Fallout 3 came out by the time New Vegas hits store shelves and the animations and character models are beginning to show their age.